As you may already know, planning a bass system includes finding a proper subwoofer that goes well with your existing system. But, what is a subwoofer? Does it have enough power to enhance your audio experience? Let our sound experts dive deeper into this by sharing their insights and listing everything you need to know when you buy one for your home theater.
What is a Subwoofer?
When answering the question – What is a subwoofer? The most obvious answer our audio enthusiasts could give is that these are the type of speakers that produce low-frequency sounds. However, that explanation alone wouldn’t tell you the reason why most subwoofers differ from how other speakers perform. So, let’s discuss the purpose of this device.
Purpose of a Subwoofer
Although achieving a full-range and high-quality sound system can be challenging for many homeowners, having a powered subwoofer could easily solve your home theater dilemma.
Unlike powered subs, most speakers with mid and high frequencies or two-channel surround sound systems typically can’t reproduce the deeper bass energy coming from explosion movie sound effects, pipe organs, or a kick drum.
If your main speakers don’t reach accurate frequency response as low as 20Hz, then your home audio system is missing out on some bass and horn-loaded action. To sum it up, subwoofers are solely responsible for playing these lower frequencies and low tones to enhance and add more power to your listening experience.
How Does it Work?
Even the best subwoofer doesn’t just magically produce low sound waves; there is always a technical explanation on how such a system works. Unlike popular full-range tower speakers with grand designs, one subwoofer basically looks like a box. Still, it contains a lot of sound engineering and components that generate more bass effects.
It has a sealed enclosure home to all the power-handling components that make a subwoofer works. This case controls the sound pressure levels that your speakers produce. While there is an entire range of subwoofer designs (which our engineers will discuss later), the durability and tightness of its housing highly determine the sound quality of the bass coming from your speakers.
Located inside this box is the subwoofer driver. This major component is solely responsible for producing the bass and particular frequencies. Depending on your purchased subwoofer, there can be one or two drivers inside serving as passive radiators giving an additional bass response to the speakers.
Other than that, subwoofer drivers typically consist of multiple components such as a voice coil where electrical energy is transmitted and the magnet that indicates the power of your speaker driver. And then, there are also ports similar to a passive radiator that enable air to flow freely and allow low frequencies to play at a louder output.
Last but not least, a good subwoofer must be accompanied by a quality amplifier. Although a home theater sound system with passive subwoofers needs an external amplifier, there are also active subwoofers with a built-in amplifier.
Considering that we’ll discuss each type of subs at the latter part of this guide, let us continue discussing what amplifiers contribute to the quality of your subwoofer. These components are in charge of producing audio signals that give your home theater system power to create sounds in lower frequencies, so it’s crucial that you choose according to your specific needs.
As home theater specialists, we highly suggest evaluating your sound needs first before choosing between an active subwoofer and passive sub-bass.
(Finding some ways to use an old amp? Then, here’s how you can integrate an old amplifier with a subwoofer)
Do You Need a Subwoofer?
Human hearing has a crossover point that allows us to perceive sound waves and frequencies ranging from 20 to 20,000 Hz [1]. So if you’re the type of person who listens to electronic music, a subwoofer’s range of lowest frequencies will let you enjoy this listening experience to the fullest.
Bass frequencies aren’t only enjoyed through music. Most of the time, your home theater movie experience involves a vast frequency range that typical small speakers cannot execute as their low frequencies only accommodate 40 to 50 Hz. Having a subwoofer like the Klipsch R-10SWi solves this audio conflict dilemma and prevents the drivers of your main speakers from being damaged and burned.
Where Should You Place Your Subwoofer/s?
Contrary to common misconception, your listening position and frequency response are correlated with each other and even affect the audio quality of full-range speakers. With that being said, is there an ideal location to place your subwoofer? Generally speaking, larger spaces have fewer complications than smaller ones as you have more options to consider.
Although having a subwoofer does take up extra space, placing it in between furniture or a cabinet could decrease the quality of its play lower frequencies and cause vibrations that heighten the possibility of accidents or damages. So, we highly discourage you from doing this.
On the other hand, subwoofer placement is commonly located in a corner or against a wall depending on the interior of the room. It’s also possible to put it at the back of the desired space but keep in mind not to place it too high.
How to Connect Your Subwoofer
Once you bought your desired sub like the Sonos Sub Gen 3, the next thing to do is to integrate it with your current sound system. Typically, you’ll need an RCA Interconnect Cable to receive the line-level audio signal. Traditionally, most soundbars and speakers include outputs that enable sending signals even to a second subwoofer.
There are also select built-in subwoofers, which spare new users from complex set-ups and offer more time and space-saving advantages.
Subwoofer Buying Guide
Design and Size
Like any other electronic device, subwoofers have different types and designs. For this guide, our audio enthusiasts will discuss three main classifications—first, the traditional subwoofer. The exterior of this box is relatively straightforward. It has a single hole dedicated to the driver and an installed power amplifier at the back.
With the air trapped in the sealed enclosure, it’s more prone to bass traps and losing consistent frequencies. On the other hand, ported subwoofers, most commonly known as bass-reflex, have a tuned port that provides more energy to play sounds with more distortion and lower frequencies.
And then there’s the passive radiator. As previously discussed, this type of subwoofer has no motor framework and has the same design as ported subs. But if you’re into professional installations, then you can opt for a woofer with a band-pass design. This arrangement involves tuning outputs into a chamber to block higher frequencies.
As for the sizes, you have the option to choose depending on the brand you purchase, but it highly classifies between Down Firing and Front-Firing Subs that we’ll discuss later on.
Power
The beauty of subwoofers is their ability to produce deep bass sound that complete the audio experience fantasy. However, to do this, your sound system needs sufficient power from soundwaves coming from a large driver.
Most of the time, integrating an amplifier designed for your speakers will solve your problems as it’s easier to configure and control.
Sensitivity
If you’re a sound system enthusiast like us, you should know that low frequencies need to be louder than the rest of the sound spectrum to align with the needs of human hearing as we are less sensitized to it compared to other sounds.
Specific media resources like movies and music with horn-loaded and bass effects could only be appreciated in their utmost potential with accurate frequencies produced by certain subwoofers.
Down Firing vs. Front-Firing Subs
The bass sounds that your typical speaker produces usually are omnidirectional. Unlike that, the low tones that subwoofers deliver are more unpredictable and highly dependent on the design you decide to settle on.
While front-firing subs such as the Klipsch R-12SW create sound waves in the air, down-firing woofers direct their vibrations on the ground. The latter is designed to be placed closer to your listening area, and the other can be designated as part of your TV console. In the end, choosing between the two all depends on your available space.
Impedance
And because subwoofers like the Klipsch R-10SW are considered electronic devices, you can’t pass out learning about its impedance or ohm rating. So while it has no direct effect on the quality of sound, it’s correlated with the amplifier that generates energy for your audio.
Depending on the design of your subs, its amplifier can be wired safely between one to four Ohms. But, of course, if you have an SVC subwoofer, its amplifier and impedance must match.
FAQ
What is the point of a subwoofer?
The point of a subwoofer is to enhance the low-frequency range of your main speakers. So if you enjoy listening to electrifying music with full-throttle bass sounds or watching movies with flick sound effects, these subs deliver the whole experience without compromising the main speakers or distorting the audio quality.
See Also: How to Seal Your Subwoofer Box
Can a subwoofer be used as a speaker?
No, a subwoofer cannot be used as a speaker. Although it has the same exterior, using subs to produce music would lead you to only hearing low-frequency sounds. Other audio elements like vocals, guitars, drums, or other higher-toned instruments won’t be heard in your subwoofer.
What is the difference between a speaker and a subwoofer?
The difference between a speaker and a subwoofer is the scope of their frequencies. Typically, speakers produce sounds that belong on the mid to higher audio spectrum. On the other hand, subwoofers are designed to create bass frequencies to enhance the listening experience and complete a quality sound system.
Conclusion
Knowing what a subwoofer is and how it aligns with your audio needs is the most crucial part of your venture to find the best surround sound systems out there. While you may find it intimidating at first, considering all its complex components and features, our experts advise you to consider its placement and purpose of usage, and everything should be just fine.
Have a particular budget? You can find the right subwoofer for you using our list below:
